April 13, 12:59UTC+3MOSCOW MOSCOW April, 13. /TASSThe World Anti-Doping Agency has announced the meldonium concentration of below 1 µg/ml in a doping test of an athlete carried out before March 1, 2016 is permissible

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Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. Russia is openly cooperating with international sports organizations on doping-related issues, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said about WADA’s decision regarding a certain permissible level of meldonium in the athlete’s body.

He recalled Putin’s statement at a meeting of the Council for Sports last winter.

"The president then said that such situations must be examined calmly, openly and in full cooperation with the international organizations concerned. This is what is happening now," Peskov said.

As for other questions, for instance, those about progress in the situation and cooperation, Peskov advised to address them to the Sports Ministry, adding that it would be wrong to make comments on the competences of different agencies.

WADA said earlier on Wednesday the meldonium concentration of below 1 µg/ml in a doping test of an athlete carried out before March 1, 2016 is permissible. "Cases where the concentration is below 1 µg/ml and the test was taken before 1 March 2016 are compatible with an intake prior to January 2016. If the anti-doping organization finds that the athlete could not reasonably have known or suspected that the substance would still be present in his/her body on or after 1 January 2016, then a finding of no fault or negligence may be made," the WADA statement says.

The drug was included in the list of preparations banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency from January 1, 2016. According to WADA’s data, a total of some 158 doping samples worldwide tested positive for meldonium, including at least 31 Russian athletes. Among them are tennis star Maria Sharapova, Olympic medalist in swimming Yulia Efimova and Olympic medalist in speed skating Pavel Kulizhnikov.